Chinese automaker BYD has offered free smart driving features on most of its models, sending rival stocks tumbling. Xpeng and Geely shares fell as much as 9.2% and 11.4%, respectively, amid concerns they will struggle to compete against BYD’s move.
BYD’s decision to offer the “God’s Eye” advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) on all its models has sparked a price war in the competitive EV market. The cheapest model, priced at $9,555, will enable autonomous driving on highways with human supervision. Analysts say BYD’s move could be difficult for rivals to match.
Tesla, which offers similar features in some of its China EVs, charges $8,000 for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) driver assistant software in the US. However, FSD is not yet available in China.
Xpeng declined to comment on BYD’s move, instead referring to comments from its founder He Xiaopeng, who welcomed the announcement as a step towards popularizing smart driving globally. Analysts say Xpeng and other peers are under pressure to keep up with BYD’s pricing.
The move is part of BYD’s efforts to outdo rivals in the EV market. The company has been pushing hard to become a top supplier of smart car technology in China, offering new models at a speed faster than overseas manufacturers.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/xpeng-geely-autos-shares-fall-concerns-about-byds-smart-driving-push-2025-02-11